by Sam Taw
“We are to gather at the far end of the beach tonight for the pyre.” He said, more solemn than ever.
“And what was decided about the miners?”
“From what I can make out, Kitto has convinced Tallack that our actions since we arrived, have only served to give the Alchemists the upper hand.”
I shook my head, sighing.
Ren turned the spit roast. “He intends on riding right up the ravine at day break, smashing through any defences and killing anyone on sight.”
“But that’s…”
“Foolish? Yes, I agree, but Massen was in no position to gainsay the mighty Kitto. Our Chief hangs on his every word. He might just as well hand over leadership of the tribe now.”
This news was most disturbing. In his bid to curry favour with the man, Tallack weakened his position even further. I thought back to the incident the summer before where we were in a similar situation as Kenver. Tallack and his brother ordered their men to build paling walls and archers traps all the way up to the mines. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember if Kitto was among them. If he was, surely, he hadn’t forgotten the impenetrable defences the Duro raiders were up against?
I didn’t need to state this obvious flaw in Kitto’s plan. Ren was fully aware of the perils. We cooked the birds, shared them with Kewri and a few others and then walked the length of the beach to await the lighting of the pyre. Senara made a point of seeking me out as we stood around the bodies of our fallen. The raised platform was rough but serviceable, stuffed with dry grasses and weed. None of the dead were washed nor wrapped. That was the job of the womenfolk. Maybe I should have offered, but I hardly knew the men and there was no cloth in which to wrap them.
Senara jogged my elbow. “Do you want to say the words over them, Fur Benyn? Endelyn would normally do that but, you know?”
My brow wrinkled up in confusion. “I’m not of the Priest Sect, Senara. It’s not my place.” She looked affronted, but I would not be swayed. “If you want to speak to the gods on their behalf, be my guest. I don’t think they’re listening anyway.” I made sure that those standing closest to us heard me, including Tallack. I hadn’t realised just how much her relationship with Endelyn had elevated her in the tribe. She was bolder than I ever thought possible. Senara did have some admirable qualities, but I wasn’t used to being ordered about by anyone other than Chiefs. My nephew glared at me, but he didn’t offer to speak either.
In the end, it was down to Massen. He spoke from the heart, listing their qualities and begging the gods to find them an honourable place in the Summerlands. When it came down to it, there was not much to be said about those poor young men. Their accomplishments during skirmishes and battles amounted to the events from the last few moons at most.
Tallack lit the pyre with a torch, throwing it into the dry brush beneath the wooden platform. We stood and watched as the fire spread quickly, the flesh from their young bodies charring and sizzling in the engulfing flames. All three were of the Sea Warrior Clan, whose numbers had taken a beating during the last cycle. Kitto stood next to Tallack for a few moments, just long enough for the blaze to take hold, before ordering the Head Hunters back to their posts. He didn’t even wait for Tallack to realise that he’d been usurped in the line of command.
Ren gave a bag of plucked feathers to Senara for fletching and joined me on the slow walk back to the hut. The Sea Warriors remained at the pyre, sharing stories and lamenting the loss of their friends. The shield maiden stood at the river mouth, clutching the bag and looking back along the beach. Most of the Hunters were either at their watch posts or bedding down at the high water mark next to roaring fires. I could see that she was struggling to decide where to camp for the night.
Chewing on her lip, Senara skipped into a slow jog to catch up with Ren and me. “You don’t mind if I bunk down with you two tonight, do you?”
Ren gave her a sharp look. “I thought you’d be keen to share stories with the Head Hunters. Aren’t you one of them now?” He didn’t even attempt to mask his annoyance.
She glanced down at her feet as she flicked the sand with a toe. “I don’t belong anywhere.” She wouldn’t make eye contact with either of us. When Ren said nothing in response, she swallowed hard.
“I’m neither sailor nor Hunter, Alchemist nor priest. I have no clan and no clan wants me.” She sniffed. I was fairly sure that she was sincere. Three days riding with the Hunters had diminished her confidence. The show at the pyre was all an act. It made me wonder whether they had done something to her, some bizarre initiation or ritual to test her worth. As much as I was looking forward to spending a quiet night alone with Ren, I pitied the girl. She was just trying to find her place in the world, and that was no easy feat for a woman.
I held out my hand towards her. “Come with us. You can tell us about your ride down here.”
Ignoring Ren’s perpetual scowl, she threaded her arm through mine and together we sauntered to our hut. Senara rolled out her furs on a smaller bunk that was once occupied by one of Kenver’s children. Ren and I shared the largest, but it was still too humid to stay close to one another for long. With no fire inside the hut and the door skins pinned back, we made the most of what little breeze we could to keep cool.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark shadows, Ren began to snore. That was when I heard her little voice from across the hut. “Fur Benyn, Kitto is going to kill the Chief.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
There was not much chance of me sleeping with Senara’s proclamation spinning around my head all night. It had confirmed what Ren and I already suspected. Becoming clan leader was not enough for the warrior, Kitto wanted power over our whole tribe. The question remained, would he wait until we had regained control of the mines or strike before more men were killed and negotiate a new deal with the Alchemists?
I rose before dawn with the aim of speaking to Senara. She was more likely to reveal what she knew to me without Ren about, making her feel unwelcome. I drank a little water from the jug and squatted outside in the grasses. There was no meat or fish left, nor grain to boil up for porridge. It was too early in the season for most berries and too dry for fresh shoots and leaves. I returned to the hut with my stomach growling and nothing to offer to Ren and Senara. She was awake and sitting up on her bunk as I entered.
“Did you mean what you said last night?” I leaned closer to her, narrowing my eyes and watching her reactions.
She stretched and slung her legs down to the ground. “I did. I overheard Kitto talking to some of his men. They had no idea that I was so close to them.”
“But are you certain that it wasn’t just men bragging and making ridiculous claims, like they do?” I practically hissed at the girl so that Ren would not wake. Senara nodded. Blowing out air over my teeth, I sat on the edge of her bunk. “Have you spoken to the Chief about this?”
“And say what? You’ve seen how he is with Kitto. The man could murder every one of us and Tallack would dismiss it as necessary. He’s untouchable. Not to mention the fact that the men would gut me for betraying their new clan leader.” She was certainly in a difficult situation. I looked over at my slumbering friend. Perhaps my nephew still held enough respect for Ren to pay heed to his advice.
While Senara went to prepare her horse for the attack, I woke Ren and updated him on Senara’s news that Kitto had announced his intentions to kill Tallack. He wasn’t at all surprised. Splashing water on his face and hair, he stared out at the horses grazing on the river banks in the distance. Many of the Hunters were already fastening reins and leading the ponies towards the mouth of the adjoining gorge.
“I’d better try and catch Tallack before it’s too late.” Ren said, slipping his leggings and shoes on and heading for the open door.
“Wait, I’ll come too.” It was hard to keep up with his long strides. Ren was a man on a mission and nothing would stand in his way, not even the dozens of warriors loading up their ponies with shields and spears, scabbards and blade
s. For so many people milling about, the valley was ominously quiet. This would normally be the time when someone from the Priest Sect would take a moment to give an offering to the gods and ask for their support, but I saw no such devotional rituals among the Head Hunters. The Sea Warriors were guarding the perimeter and looked set to stay where they were. What orders had Tallack given them? Were they not a part of the planned stampede on the miners?
Every one of the warriors we passed wore a grim stare of defiance as we walked between them on our way to the Chief’s hut. Tallack was alone when we reached the doorway, the coverings pinned back just as we had done. Poking my head inside, my eyes adjusted to the gloom to see my nephew struggling to fasten the leather straps securing his wrist guards. Without invitation, I wandered over to assist him. He let me, turning his gaze to Ren.
“You’ve come to talk me out of the attack.” He picked up the second wrist guard and passed it to me, raising his other forearm so that I could repeat the process.
Ren held the Chief’s stare. “I have. We’ve heard about a plot against you.”
I expected Tallack to be shocked, to demand details or get angry over our interference. Instead, he merely nodded and then checked my handiwork. “I know you both have my best interests at heart, you are loyal to a fault, but you should not concern yourself with Chieftain matters. I have everything under control.”
“We think Kitto…” Ren began, but his protestations were met with the Chief shushing him and steering my friend and I back towards the door.
“If you want to make yourselves useful, find food, prepare medicines and make the camp more secure. I’m leaving my best men to defend you while we’re gone.” That was all we could get from my deeply altered nephew. I had attributed most of his mood changes to the loss of his twin brother but this was a whole new level of arrogance. It began when the priestess declared herself Ruvane of our tribe.
With a little shove, we were expelled from his presence and sent packing. More and more warriors gathered at the foot of the headland, close to our hut. Senara was among them, waiting for her friend to return with fresh drinking water from the springs. I took a few moments to check the contents of my healing kit and went in search of Kewri. He too was preparing for the attack, looking for a spare horse that could carry his hulking great weight.
Even I could tell him that no such pony existed in this neck of the woods. When I pointed this fact out to him, he pouted, and then announced his intention to run up the gorge track after the warriors. Either way, I could not dissuade him.
“You have Ren to protect you now, Fur Benyn. You don’t need me anymore.” There was a sadness in his eyes that crushed my heart. My growing fondness for Renowden had displaced the giant in my household. Now the poor lad didn’t know where he belonged. I wondered if my nephew had given him different orders to follow, dismissing him from the duty of protecting me. When I enquired if this was the case, Kewri shook his head.
“Chief Tallack hasn’t spoken to me.” His bottom lip trembled. “Now that Vina’s your apprentice, I just assumed…” His shoulders scrunched up around his ears. How hadn’t I seen this sooner? He was elated when I welcomed him into my home. I’d lost track how many times he’d saved my life or helped me when no one else could. With all the turmoil on the island compound, I’d overlooked the giant.
Grabbing his wrist, I stopped him and spun him about until he was facing me. “Kewri, you are my friend. I cannot ever repay your kindness towards me. You’ll always have a place at my fireside and under my roof until such time you ever wish to leave. Do not think me ungrateful or that I don’t need you, because I do. My home and my heart are large enough for us all.”
The corners of his mouth edged upwards and his cheeks flushed with a rosy glow.
“You are part of the family now, lad. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I winked at him, making him chuckle. Together, we hurried back across the bridge to where Kitto sat on his huge black stallion calling his men around.
Senara led her pale horse past our hut where Ren was standing. He flicked his hand at her, beckoning her closer. She leaned down the side of her pony’s neck until she was level with Ren’s head.
Whatever he said to her made the shield maiden dismount and hand the reins to him. With a curt nod, she loaded herself up with her weapons and water and shot off into the undergrowth behind our house. I was out of breath by the time we reached him but I had enough in my lungs to demand to know what he’d done.
Ren passed the reins to Kewri and ducked back inside the hut. He returned moments later, strapping his weapons to Senara’s horse. “I’ve sent her along the cliff top path to scout the far end of the gorge. I shall ride alongside Tallack and make sure that he comes to no harm.” As he mounted the bay mare, he addressed Kewri. “Stay here. Make sure Fur Benyn is protected at all times. Got that?”
The giant nodded, grinning with pride. His mission restored; he was happy to be useful once again.
I was less than pleased with this turn of events. While everyone galloped off to battle the miners, I was to stay behind as a prisoner. “But if there are injuries, I won’t be able to treat them. You can’t carry more than a couple of men down the valley at once.” I was almost smug with my quick thinking. Ren sucked in his lips. He knew that I was right. I needed to be there too.
Kitto was bellowing at the warriors. He praised their courage and fortitude, inciting a cheer that drowned out all other noises. If the Alchemists didn’t know they were coming, they did now. I shook my head in disbelief, but on Kitto went.
“We will show them which is the mightier clan within our tribe, those who are loyal to our people.” He took a breath while the hollering and whooping grew louder. “We’ll show them what happens to kyjyan traitors. We’ll ride hard and fast up that valley and show them what courage looks like. When we’ve finished with them, they’ll be grateful of the open arms of Cernonnus to carry them into the Underworld. They love hiding so much, let’s see how they like spending eternity with the shameful dead.” The roaring made the ponies skittish. They jostled and whinnied, adding to the general clamour.
Kitto unsheathed the dagger bestowed upon him as leader of the Head Hunters and held it aloft. “Ride now and take as many heads as you can carry. Let’s make them wish they’d never been born.” He yanked the reins of the stallion until it reared up and squealed. The beast’s mane swished across the warrior’s chest, its front legs kicking out in fury. Kitto held on tightly, drinking in the glory of his men’s admiration.
Lowering the oath blade, Kitto used it to point up the gorge, before jabbing his heels into the horse’s flanks and riding away. The Head Hunter’s followed the galloping stallion into battle.
“Where’s Tallack?” I said, snapping my head about in search of my nephew.
“We’ll find him. Come on, old girl.” Ren linked his arm about mine and pulled me up onto the back of Senara’s horse behind him. I pulled my healing kit strap until the bag rested on my hip and then clung to Ren’s middle as we set off at a canter. Glancing back over my shoulder, I saw poor Kewri break into a slow run after us. We should have told him to stay in the camp, but I knew he’d do all in his power to keep his word.
When we’d passed the first small incline in the track, we hit a thicket of dense shrubs. The warriors ahead of us fell in line, riding in single file and making it impossible to see whether Tallack was among them.
Undeterred, we rode on, passing some of the heavier men on struggling horses. I knew the tracks well, but Ren held the reins. Senara’s bay mare was sure footed and bright. As the trail hit a steep stretch, we cantered on while others fell back. Mists hung between the trees, being shaded from the rising sun. It made it harder to see to the head of the clan.
“The trail splits up ahead.” I warned Ren, unsure whether he was familiar with the area. As far as I knew, he’d spent much of his time on Tallack’s ship during the early winter, or on their trip over to Iwerdon. He pulled on the reins to slow
our horse. Clambering up to the large patch of gravel where the path diverged, I spotted Tallack just ahead of us.
Kitto halted, taking the opportunity to turn his horse around to speak with the men. He seemed to have some sort of hierarchy set out among them, as though some were raised in status above others. He barked out his orders and half of the men branched off to take the low path alongside the river. The hooves rumbled on the hard baked earth, their ponies taking the brunt of twig and branch lashings as they powered through the overhanging shrubs.
Sweeping his arm over his head as though he was about to launch a rock, he signalled the remaining men to follow him. Ren waited, pulling back on the reins until we could see which direction our Chief would take. To my shock and surprise, Tallack chose to follow Kitto along the high track carved into the side of the valley.
On we pushed, through narrow and steep embankments and over wider and flatter areas until we were spread out among mature trees. The leaf litter and scree slowed our progression, forcing the ponies to pick through the undergrowth to avoid a misstep. Kitto drove on relentlessly, determined to have possession of the mines before the sun was high.
When we reached a flat area of woodland, a rockfall ahead of us narrowed the track substantially. It looked only wide enough to accommodate two horses to pass at a time. The broken rocks looked fresh, as if someone had deliberately caused the fall to halt our progress. Everyone could see that it was an ideal spot for an ambush. Kitto held his arm aloft, slowing all those behind him to a trot.
Drenched in sweat and spitting out gnats and dust, we lingered behind the Head Hunters at the rear. Tallack spun about in his saddle and caught sight of Ren and me. His opened mouth of shock transformed into a seething pucker.